Launch of the EU-supported project for refugees with specific needs and vulnerable host families in Moldova including the Transnistrian region

UN Human Rights has provided vital support to refugees fleeing Ukraine to Moldova since the beginning of the armed conflict in February 2022. Some 100,000 refugees are currently in the country.

Through this 12-months project, funded by the European Union, OHCHR will now focus on the systematic identification of the most vulnerable groups, who are more at risk of protection concerns and human rights violations, and on their referral to appropriate and timely services and assistance.

OHCHR will collect and analyze data on 5,500 Ukrainian refugees and vulnerable host families, in order to have available data on their demographic profiles; protection concerns; needs; intentions, and as a result facilitate partners’ provision of relevant response. Data analyzed will highlight the intersectionality between the various factors causing vulnerability, to fill an existing gap in this information among humanitarian partners.

“Through this initiative, we will also increase the understanding of various stakeholders on the human right to equality and non-discrimination and its application in the humanitarian response. We will do so by gathering data on discrimination, exclusion and marginalization experienced by refugees from Ukraine in access to services and assistance, and through dedicated trainings,” said Bea Ferenci, UN Human Rights Adviser in Moldova.

“Organisations providing humanitarian aid will be able to better identify people who face higher protection risks, and consequently address them,” explains Karima Hammadi from EU Humanitarian Aid. “By improving the access to services and assistance for refugees with specific needs and the most vulnerable host families in Moldova, we want to ensure that no one is left behind.”

About EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid:

The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises. Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

The press release in Russian language is available here.